Automatic draft-regulator



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AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1I,` 1917.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS'PSHEET I.

INVENTOR W dkalizfz ATToRNEY.

W. G. SEATON.

AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-.11. 1917.

1,372,563, Patented Mar. 22,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTO R N EY To @ZZ whom t may concern:

i UNITED STATES i WILLIAM Gf. SEATON, OF KIHXVILLE,` TENNESSEE.

AUTOMATIC DRAFT-REGULATOR.

`Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.`

Application led September 11, 1917. Serial No.` 190,831.`

Be it known that I, VVrLmAM G. SEATON, a citizen of the United States, residinfr at Knoxville, in the county of Knox andStIate of Tennessee, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Automatic Draft-Regulators, of which the following is a specification.

` This invention relates to an automatic draft control and spark removerprimarily adapted for use in connection with locomotives, butzalso adaptable to boilers for other Aclasses of engines. y

It is an object of the invention to produce a combined draft controlland sparkremover for the boilers of locomotives or like engines, which shall be automatic in action, easily installed, cheap in construction," and thoroughly eicient in operation.

With this object in view, and others which willappear as the nature of the invention is more fully understood, the invention resides in the construction, combination, and operative arrangement of parts set forth in the following description and falling within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa side elevation of the l11nprovement, the locomotive being indicated by the dotted lines. y y i 0 Fig. 2 is an approximately central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the motor cylinder. t i

Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryperspective view looking toward the bottom of the smoke box.4

Y Fig. 4 is a frontelevation partly in section. 1

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the blow-out valve. i

Fio'. 6 is a detail side elevation illustrating the cap or valve for the air inlet in its partly open position.

To the dome 11 for the boiler of a locomotive 10, I connect a pop valve 12,- illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This valve comprises an outer casing 13 having a removable threaded cap 14 and an inner cylindrical member 15 which is provided with a seat for the spring pressed valve 16,

the said valve being disposed directly above a steam pipe 17 from the dome 11. The outer casing 13, upon one ofits sides is provided with an opening surrounded a boss and within the said opening is screwed a for the piston 23.

pipe 18 leading, through a series of connected pipes 20--20 to a closed cylindrical casing 21, located below and secured at a convenient point to the smoke box 22 at the outer end of the boiler. In the casing 21 is a piston 23having astem 24 that passes through a `suitable packing box at the front end of the cylinder. f Surrounding the stem 24 isahelical spring 25 exerting a pressure between the piston 23 and the outer end of the cylinder to normally force the piston toward the rear end of the cylinder, and toward the pipe 20 which connects with the said rear end of the cylinder. The cylinder 21, `uponits under face, and adjacent its ends, is provided with restricted openings, receiving the `stems of cocks 25and 26 respectively, the cock 25 being at all times partly open, and forming a bleed port at the rear end of the cylinder. Integrally formed with the cylinder21, upon the top thereof is abox-like chamber 27 havingits outer wall provided with an inlet opening `normally closed by a removable threaded plug 28. Thelchamber, at its said upper wall is provided with an outlet drain pipe 30. The numeral 30 designates the port between the receptacle 27` and the cylinder 21. The cylinder is designed to receive a luid preferably a mixture of oil and Water, which, in Fig. 2vofthe` drawings, is indicated by the numeral 31, the said fluid serving as a buffer Formed upon or connected to the under face of the cylinder 21 and extending outwardly of the said` cylinder, that is, toward the front end `of the cylinder 21 is the arm 32 of a bracket member `33. On this bracket 33 is secured the guide frame 34 for a cross head 35 to which is connected the projecting end of the piston rod 24. Pivotally connected with the cross head 35 is a link 36.

\ The bottom wall of the smoke box, adj acentthe outer end thereof, is provided with an` opening 37,and` surrounding this opening is the flange 38 of a depending pipe member 40. The flange is riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom ofthe smoke box. The pipe, at the lower end thereof, is formed with a lateral extension 41, the ends thereof being closed by removable heads 42. The pipes 40 and41 provide a substantially intal element 41 thereof, at the opposite sides `verted `T-shapedmemberjand the horizonv these inlets are normally closed by flanged hinged doors or valves 44. Pivotally connected to each of the'iianged caps or valves -44 is a rod 45. Each of the rods is preferably in the nature of an adj ustablegelement, and in reality Vcomprise two rods having their confronting ends oppositely threaded and the said ends engaged by ak turn buckle 46. f

. The vertical member 40 of the air inlet pipe is provided with alining openings passing through the sides thereof, the said openings being surrounding by bosses 47 and provide bearings fora shaft 48. rlhe shaft has at one of its ends an Vangular arm 49 which is preferably bifurcated and pivotally connected with one of the rods 45. rlhe second end of the shaft 4S is connected to the center of an arm 50. This arm has one of its ends pivotally connected with the second rod 45,and its opposite end pivoted vtothe link 36. 1

r VArrangedjover the Yopening' in the smokebox is a crosssectionally U-shaped hood or shield 51, the same having its edges provided withdepending legs 52 having O- set feet 53 which` are secured'to thelower wall ofthe smoke box 22. As yillustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, the upper wall of the hofod` 51 is arranged at an inclination, so that the wider end of the said hood is disposed adjacent the outer end of the smoke box, and this end, at theY upper portion thereof, is formed Ywith Aan outwardly flared lip 54. 'In some instances the hood 52fmay be dispensed with. f

' The spring pressed pop or blow-olfvalve 12 is operated by an excessive pressure of steam in the boiler` which pressure, however,v is not great enough to unseat the regular-pop'or blow-off valve connected with the dome l1. Then the valve 12 is operated the steamwill be directed through the pipes 18 and 2O against the piston 23, moving the piston longitudinally of the cylinder 2l againstr the pressure of the spring and the-influence of the fluid 81 in the cylinder, causing-the piston rod to move the cross head outwardly or toward the end of the smoke box, and consequently, causing the link 3G-to turn the shaft 48 to operate the rods and open the valves or caps 44 of the inlets tothe air pipe 40, permitting fresh air to'flow through the 'said pipe, and to create a direct vertical draft in the smoke box through the smoke stack, thus relieving a'direct horizontal draft through the smoke l y Y tubes Vofthe boiler. In-addition -to creating the draftand relieving the steam pressure,`

the air collects and forces the cinders and other products of combustion from the smoke box through the smoke stack. rlhe operation of the device, it will be noted` is automatic, the construction is comparatively simple and the device not only obviates the necessity of removing the cinders or other products of combustion by hand, but economizes the use of steam and water in the boiler.

rllhe longitudinal pipe member 2() may he extended to the rear of the boiler as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings, and eennected by a T to a valve pipe 55 which in turn is connected to a branch pipe that rommunicates with the boiler, the T being provided with a rock 5G which is partly open. This partly opened cock provides a bleed for the pipe 55 to the pipe extension 2l) and in connection with the cock 25 permits of the return of the piston 23 to its initial position after the exhaust pressure has heen relieved. The valve 57 of the pipe 55 is arranged in close proximity to the engineer by whom it may be operated. Thus the de- Y vice may be operated manually if desired.

The cock 2G is employed as a drain for the fluid 3l so that the fluid will not be permitted to freeze in the cylinder in cold weather or when other conditions arise and it is found necessary to remove the fluid from the saine. Should too great a quantity of the iluid 3l be arranged in the receptacle 27. the same, will rind an outlet through the pipe 30.

Having thus described the invention what claim is:

In an automatic draft regulator for locomotive engines, the combination with a casing secured to and communicating with the steam dome of the engine boiler. a spring influenced puppet valve in the easing normally closing the casing to the dome. and a pipe leading from said casing; of a eylinder secured to the locomotive adjacent to the front end thereof, the pipe from the casing connected with the rear end of the cylinder, the cylinder having a fluid rontaining chamber communicating with the forward end thereof. said cylinder having a bleed cock adjacent cach of its ends. the bleed cock at the rear end of the cylinder being normally partly open. a. piston in the l cylinder. a. piston rod therefor passing through the front end of the cylinder, a spring surrounding the rod and exerting a pressure to move the piston toward the rear end ofthe cylinder, an air inlet pipe eonnected to and communicating with the smoke, box of the locomotive, a hood in the smoke y box disposed over the pipe, a` hinged door for the pipe controlling the admission of atmospheric air therethrough, means connected to the door and to the piston rod for swinging the door to vopen position to admit atmospheric air through the pipe and into the smoke boX when the piston is inf1uenoed by steam from the easing of the puppet valve when an excess steam pressure occurs in the dome, the piston7 in such movement compressing the spring and forcing part of the Huid from the cylinder into the fluid chamber, and the spring designed to move the piston to its initial posltion to force the steam through the open bleed cock,

when the excessive steam pressure in the l() dome is relieved, and in so doing to return the door of the zti inlet pipe to closed p0- stion.

In testimony whereof I zix my signature.

WILLIAM Gr. SEATON. 

